Tulsi Gabbard Revokes Security Clearances Of 37 Intelligence Officials, Including Top Biden Aides

Washington: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former intelligence officials. The Trump administration's action has drawn intense criticism and accusations of politicising the clearance issue. The list of officials who lost their clearances includes several high-profile figures, such as Maher Bitar, Emily Horne, and Brett Holmgren, who have been associated with the Biden administration.

As per foreign media reports, Gabbard justified the move by accusing the officials of politicising and manipulating intelligence and committing intentional “egregious violations of tradecraft standards”. She claimed that the decision was made at the direction of President Donald Trump, asserting that being entrusted with a security clearance is a privilege, not a right. According to Gabbard, those who betrayed their oath to the Constitution and prioritise their interests over national security undermined the safety and security of the American people.

Officials Who Resisted Are Targeted?

Meanwhile, the decision has been met with fierce resistance from national security professionals, including those who have had their clearances revoked by Trump. Mark Zaid, a national security attorney, condemned the move, deeming it a "Privacy Act violation" and termed it further proof of weaponisation and politicisation. He noted that the vast majority of the individuals on the list are dedicated public servants who have worked across multiple presidential administrations.

Mark Zaid also pointed out that the decision was first published by a newspaper ahead of the public announcement by Gabbard, raising questions about the motivations behind the move. "Pure politicisation of security clearance process," Zaid wrote on X, adding that these are unlawful decisions that deviate from decades of precedent.

Larry Pfeiffer, a former senior director of the White House situation room and chief of staff at the CIA, also expressed concerns that the decision would undermine US intelligence. "The skill and talent that Trump and Gabbard deprive the US national security and intelligence communities, government & private sector, is huge," he wrote on X.

The list of officials who lost their clearances included those who have spoken out in the media about various Trump administration decisions. Beth Sanner, a longtime national security official who served during the first Trump administration, has commented on Trump's policies through her role as a national security analyst on a television show. Charles Kupchan, who worked at the NSC under the Clinton and Obama administrations, and Sarah Vinograd, who was at the NSC under Barack Obama and at the Department of Homeland Security under Joe Biden, have also recently commented on Trump's foreign policy moves.